Cracked Crimson Walls
by StarSlingerSnitch
Summary: He's always been a loner. He's never needed anyone before. He's been closed off because he just doesn't know how to ask for help. But slowly he finds himself opening, trusting, falling. All the guards he put up around him are breaking down, Defenses are crumbling. Sooner or later it's all going to crash down. But now he doesn't know if he wants it to stop.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I've been wanting to do this story for a while and yes, it's a Hunter/OC story. Overrated? I suppose so. Cliché? Maybe. The OC being a ranger? No way! I don't know why, but I don't really like when the OC is an unknown ranger or something so my OC is not a ranger. Just to clarify.** **Enjoy!**

"Guys! Look at her!" Tori points out a brunette surfing a ways down from them. Her red two-piece stood out against the blue-green, sparkling water. Tori's friends follow her finger to see the girl overcome a large wave.

"She's almost better then you, Tori," Shane teases her. Tori turns her head to face Shane, her eyebrows raised. Shane holds his hands up.

"Kidding, kidding." It was a sunny day in Blue Bay Harbor, perfect for a day at the beach. There is a slight breeze that is refreshing from the heat that had been the norm for the last few days in their town. There had been no disturbances from Lothor for awhile, so they had decided to use it as an opportunity to go on a mini-vacation to the beach. The beach was where they can relax, they can unwind, they can watch Tori try to teach Blake how to surf.

Which usually doesn't end well.

The sun reflects off the water and Dustin, shielding his eye with his hand, notices Hunter is still staring at the girl in red. His face is blank, as usually but his brow is furrowed and his eyes intent on her.

"Yo Hunter," he says trying to get the blonds' attention. Hunter tears his eyes away and looks at Dustin, his forehead smooth once more. _Why does he have to be so good at that? _Dustin thinks. Hunter inclines his head.

"Yeah Dustin?" His voice is pensive. Never a good sign.

"I was just wondering why you were staring so hard at that girl?" Dustin says, his voice getting higher at the end trying to conceal his laughter. The other's whip their heads towards Hunter, surprise on their faces.

"What were you doing, older brother" Blake is grinning slyly and Tori matches him.

"Is our Hunter…looking at a girl?" Shane can't hold it in and bursts out laughing as the others join in. Hunter rolls his eyes.

"Uh, yeah. She's a very good surfer. Better than you, Tori," he says, echoing Shane's earlier words. All the laughing stops as the guys look at Tori. Hunter's face is smug. He's not one to get scared of Tori, even mock-scared as the others usually pretended.

"What Hunter?" Tori's voice is soft, letting him have a chance to rethink his words.

"I said, she's better then you," responds Hunter. The others scoot backwards off the towel as Tori gets up. Hunter squints at her against the harsh sunlight.

"Better run, man," Shane mutters. Dustin nods, looking scared. Blake's face is just amused at his older brother's actions. But Hunter is always like that.

Unpredictable.

"Come here Hunter Bradley!" Tori leaps at him but he leans to the side and quickly gets up. The smirk on his face is still smug as Tori turns around, mock glaring at him.

"Catch me if you can, Tori," he teases then takes off running down the beach. Tori chases after him as the other guys laugh behind them. Hunter dodges the other beachgoers, them and the sand stopping him only momentarily. They look at him and Tori, confused yet entertained at the same time as the sand flies beneath their feet. They're both grinning as the wind tears at them, trying to stop them and blowing their hair back.

Hunter stops suddenly as Tori skids by him.

"Hey Hunter! That hurt!" she complains as she gets up, wiping sand from herself. They're standing just beyond the reach of the waves. It claws up to the sand just inches from their feet. "Ready to give up?"

When Hunter doesn't respond, she glances at his face. He's focusing on something, his eyes once again intent on the unknown object.

She sighs, way too sued to it. He stops a lot of times when he's focused on something and usually doesn't bother to explain, expecting everyone else to get it.

"What is it, Hunter?" Tori asks eventually. She notices her other friends, seeing that they've stopped chasing each other, picking their way along to her.

"You know that surfer we saw earlier?" Hunter says slowly, scanning the rippling ocean. Tori waggles her eyebrows at him.

"Oh yeah? What about her?" she asks, her voice teasing. But Hunter's not amused. He's still staring at the waves. Their rhythmic sound is haunting, alluring…it reminds him of something but he can't remember what. Just a weird sense of calling.

"I saw her fall off her board a few minutes ago. She hasn't come back up yet." Tori's breath is caught in her throat as Hunter turns to her, his eyes wide.

"Hunter…" is all she gets out before he's plunging into the waves. "Hunter!"

But Hunter's not paying any attention. He swims deeper until the water is up to his shoulders. This was right about where he had seen her. But she's not there anymore. He sees a surfboard being swept up on shore and recognizes it as the one she was riding.

Off-white with red flowers.

He takes a deep breath before ducking under the water. The salt assaults his eyes as soon as he opens them beneath the waves, but the slight stinging he barely acknowledges. The push of the water makes him move backwards a little bit, hindering his movement. He frowns and sticks his arms in front of him, as if trying to part the water.

He doesn't know why he's so worried about a complete stronger but as a ranger, you have to help whoever's in need.

Even a pretty girl on the beach.

_Come on, come on, where is she?_ Hunter swims deeper, the water getting colder the farther he goes out. But actually, it feels pretty good after being in the sun for so long._ Where are you?_

He comes up for air, still not seeing her anywhere. _Where can she be? _He looks towards shore and sees his friends standing in a little group at the edge of the sea. They look confused and are yelling at him to come back. He just shakes his head and dives beneath the water again.

It's peaceful down there. No sounds except the slight whooshing of the waves from underwater. He can see through to the smooth ocean floor. The fish dart away from him as he searches through the water. If he wasn't so worried, about a girl he didn't even _know_, he would've loved to just swim and think. But he has a job to do.

A life to save.

Finally he spots her, her red swimsuit very conspicuous in the clear water. She's struggling against something that's pulling her under. When he gets closer, he realizes it's a fishing line caught on her string anklet. She's trying to rip it off but since her eyes are closed, he's assuming it's very hard for her.

Her feet are kicking up the sand around her, the little grains combined with the bubbles she's causing making it very hard to see. But he manages.

He reaches out and grabs the fishing line, working immediately on trying to untangle it. She stiffens up when he touches her. She's scared, he can tell. But by now she so out of it that she's stopped fighting so hard.

It's harder to untie knots underwater than one might think but seeing as he's Hunter, he just has a way with that. His fingers scramble a little as he picks at the knots.

He looks up once, quickly, just to see how she's doing. But maybe he shouldn't have.

She's stopped fighting. She's drowning, her brown hair floating around her face. Hunter starts to panic at the thought that she's going to die anyway, after he tried to save her.

That he tried….and failed.

_No._

On the smooth sandy floor, he spots a piece of jagged shell. _Perfect. _He reaches down with one hand and grabs it before sawing it through the fishing line. Back and forth. Back and forth.

He chances another look at the girl and she's still not fighting. But he sees the stream of bubbles coming from her mouth and knows she's still alive.

But he doesn't have a lot of time anyway.

He finally succeeds in cutting through the wire and quickly takes her by the waist and swims upwards, his lungs close to bursting. The surface looks so far away but he just propels his feet faster and breaks through the water to the wide open sky.

He takes in big, gulping breaths of air, his chest heaving. He looks down at the girl and finds she's still quite limp, leaning on him. But he doesn't mind. _He saved her._

As he swims to shore, still carrying the girl, he sees a crowd has formed around his friends. He doesn't bother waving to him, knowing he needs all of his strength to get her to shore. Although, she is pretty light…

He shakes some blond hair out of his eyes and makes his way faster through the water until he feels his feet hit the sandy shore. His friends all run up to him but he ignores them and lays her down on the sand, out of the reach of the waves. There's yelling all around them, praise and warnings but Hunter ignores it.

"Hunter, I can't believe you saved her," Shane says, his voice worried. "And not even as a ranger," he adds softly, so only Hunter can hear. Hunter just nods, focusing on the girl who is now coughing up water. She pulls in deep, shuddering breaths, trying to clear her airways of seawater. He pounds her gently on the back as she violently coughs more.

"Eve?" Tori says, a little breathless, staring at the brunette. But Blake shushes her.

"Give her a second." He nudges her. But Hunter is tuning them all out, intent on this girl who still hasn't opened her eyes. She's leaning back on her forearms, her eyes still closed until she reaches up a hand to wipe at them. They open.

And Hunter is confronted with the most startling bright pair of hazel eyes he's ever seen.

"Are you okay?" he asks her softly, mildly annoyed at the racket the people around him are causing. Before she even says anything he feels a…tug towards this girl. A pull. There's something about her that just feels _right. _And he doesn't even know who she is. She blinks a few times before gazing up at him.

"Y-yeah…" she murmurs her brown hair limp on her shoulders. She looks up to see a guy above her. A good-looking guy. The guy who saved her.

And she feels this strange feeling that she knows him from somewhere. A feeling of coming home. Of comfort.

"Are you sure? It was pretty close there," he continues. She nods, still a little shaky after almost drowning. And suddenly being confronted with such an attractive guy, of course.

"Well, can I take you anywhere? Home, a hotel, anything?" he offers. Her head snaps up slowly. This complete stranger is offering to drive her home? A hot stranger, but nonetheless a stranger.

Despite her feeling of familiarity…

"Hunter, what are you doing? That's nice, but you don't even know her." A guy in the crowd scolds him. The Asian guy next to him nods while the blonde girl is frowning at her. She looks familiar…

A memory hits her from years past.

_Two girls playing in the water, a splash fight from long ago. The sunset reflecting off the waves as the girls laugh and play. The slight wind blowing a warm breeze towards them as they dart in and out of the waves, their shorts soaked and flecks of water clinging to their hair._

_A blonde girl…her shadow running on the sand…a brunette girl…her hair flying behind her as they run down the beach…_

"Tori?" she says, her voice hoarse. The blonde grins widely.

"Eve! I knew it was you!" She bends down quickly to give her a hug but Eve's arms are heavy so she just sits there and smiles. She's found her best friend again.

_Friend. _

"Wait, Tori-you know her?" The tan man that had spoken before asks Tori. Tori nods.

"Yeah! Eve was my best friend before she moved. I thought you looked familiar but I never would've guessed that it was you! What brings you here?"

"Tori, give her a minute," the blond, muscular guy who had saved her cautions. Tori rolls her eyes. Eve smiles, remembering how Tori never really listened to anyone and always did what she wanted-even at Eve's own expense, sometimes. But it was okay.

And it's okay now.

"Eve, these are my friends-Dustin, Shane, Blake, and Hunter." _Hunter._ So that was her savior's name. Seems appropriate.

The name vibrates through her mind, bouncing around. Hunter. _Hunter. Why did that name sound so known, so comforting?_

"It's nice to meet you," Eve says softly. She's always been shy around those she didn't know well. But especially around Tori's new friends, she is worried. What of Tori had replaced her? What if it was only the joy of seeing her again that Tori was so nice? What if after everything had worn off, that she was going to leave her again?

Like everyone else had.

She coughs up a little water as the other's look at her in concern. "Thank…thank you," she adds, looking into Hunter's clear blue eyes. "How can I ever thank you for saving me?"

"Oh, it was nothing," he mutters, looking a little sheepish.

"Are you kidding? That was a great rescue," the guy in yellow, Dustin, exclaims. Eve curves her mouth at his excitement and feels a little rush of gratitude at his next sentence.

"As long as she's okay," Hunter clears up. Inside, he's so confused. _Why am I acting like this? What's wrong with me? _

"Anyway Eve, what's up with you?" Tori exclaims. Eve smiles wanly, but inside she feels drained. Weary. Tired from almost dying.

"Look Tori, she seems tired. You can take her home, it's okay. We'll wait here," the Asian boy, Blake says. Tori grins at him.

"Thanks guys! I'll be back! Can you stand, Eve?" Eve nods, putting a hand to her head. She has a massive headache and also a weird sensation in her chest whenever she looks at Hunter. It's a strange tightening and a feeling of…loss.

_It's nothing,_ she tells herself. _You're just tired. It's nothing._

"Here," Hunter says, taking Eve's arm and helping her stand. She stares at him, his touch leaving a burning feel on her arm. But not like flames licking her body. Just the feeling of being out in the sun for a long time, in a comforting way.

As she gets to her feet with his help, she tears her eyes away from his and looks down. _It's the glare of the sun_, she says to herself. _You can't stare in the sun._

_Or his eyes._

"Thanks," she tells him, her head still a little messed up. She leans on him for a moment as the blood rushes from her head and closes her eyes as bright spots appear before them.

"Eve?" Tori asks, her voice laced with concern. Eve opens her eyes to find herself clutching Hunter's arm and sheepishly let's go.

"I'm fine, my head just hurts. Let's just go. Thanks again," she says to Hunter. "I'll see you around, okay?" _Stupid, stupid! Why did you just say that?_

"Yeah, bye," he says as they walk away. _Eve…_

"Don't worry Eve, when you're feeling better, we can all get together sometime. You have no idea how annoying it is when all you hang around with is guys." Tori rolls her eyes as Eve forces a laugh.

"Thanks for understanding. I'm sorry, I'm just out of it now," she apologizes as Tori waves them away.

"Don't worry about it. Now come on, let's get you home."


	2. Chapter 2

"So how's it going with you?" Tori asks as she unlocks the car door to her van. Eve stops, staring at it. It's a blue and white van, not a big deal. But it's the blue and white van she remembered Tori had always been talking about when they were younger.

"Eve?" Tori looks back over her shoulder at her friend. Eve shakes her head, trying to distinguish memories from real life.

"I'm fine, but…isn't this the van you always wanted?" Tori breaks into a smile.

"Yes! The very same! You remembered." Eve gives a little laugh.

"How could I forget? I remember it was all you talked about. How when we grew up and were able to drive, you were going to get this van." She smiles, reminiscing all the good times she once had growing up in Blue Bay Harbor. It seems like a lifetime ago that they were two ten-year olds, dreaming about driving.

"Well, I did. And now you are allowed to see it in person." Tori finishes putting Eve's surfboard in the back and climbs in the front door before leaning out the window. "Come on! I gotta get you home. By the way, do you live where you lived before?"

"No." Eve shakes her head. "We couldn't buy back the house. Here, I'll give you my new address." She walks around to the other side. As she gets in, she catches a final glimpse of Tori's friends as they return to normal. Hunter is still staring after them but he quickly turns and bends over to conceal his face. Eve feels her smile falter a little. She knows she just met him and all, and that she shouldn't rush anything, because when the time is right, something will happen, but she still feels a pang as they drive away.

"Thanks for the ride, Tori," Eve says as she slams the door behind her. "Do you want to come in?" Tori shakes her head.

"No, that's alright. Besides, you should be resting after almost dying today. I don't want you to strain yourself at all."

"Thanks Tori," Eve smiles at her. Always looking out for others, that's Tori to a tee. Except when she's not. "I'm fine, really. I think I do just need some sleep."

A breeze blows by them, ruffling her brown hair and carrying the slight scent of seawater. She breathes it in deeply, admitting she did miss this seaside town and all its charms. Even when living in a big city, she had longed for the smaller town. The glass-fronted shops, the wooden boardwalks, the white buildings.

Of course, even when moving back, her parents had wanted something modern. They couldn't buy back their old house so they had chosen a new neighborhood, a few blocks away from where her old home once was. Their new house had glass sliding doors and tall, wide windows that overlooked the little bit of an ocean view they were granted with.

Tori's eyes widen a little at the sight of her house. A driveway made of crushed stones and seashells lead up to the two-story house.

"Nice digs you have," she comments, leaning her arms out the window and resting her head on them. eve gives a small laugh.

"Thanks. But, Tori, 'nice digs'? really?" _So she's changed more than I thought. _

"Hey," Tori grins at her. "You have no idea how badly hanging out with only guys can affect you."

"I guess not," Eve concedes, slinging her bag to her other shoulder. "By the way, you don't mind holding my surfboard until tomorrow? I can take it now, if you want."

"No, it's fine. Eve, really. You need less things to worry about. Don't sweat it, I got it." Tori smiles at her once more before starting the van up. She backs out of the driveway and turns the car around as Eve watches.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow! Bye!" She calls, waving before driving away. Eve shakes her head at her friend's antics.

"I don't remember that happening," she mutters. She turns her back on the street and walks up the driveway before stopping at her porch. As she fishes for her keys in her bag, she smiles slightly.

"Just like old times, right?" she says to herself, unlocking the door. She kicks off her shoes first thing before setting her bag down. Feeling something is a little off, she looks down again before realizing her ankle is bare.

_Where's my anklet?_

_It probably got cut off when I was saved._

A sudden chill catches in the air and she shivers, hugging herself tightly. _Whatever. It's just a piece of string anyway._

That night, after changing out of her wet clothes, she had crawled in bed, exhausted. She hadn't wanted to admit it earlier but she is so, so tired from that encounter she can barely keep her eyes open. _Drowning does take a lot out of you_, she supposes, taking a sip from the glass of water she has on her bedside table. Her throat had been like sandpaper, so dry and rusty and making swallowing difficult.

Her eyes find the clock and see the red numbers reading 10:15. Her parents still aren't home.

She shouldn't be surprised. They have always been ones to stay at their jobs late. They know she can take care of herself. They know she can handle things here at home.

It just hurts, sometimes. That she's always left alone. That people think she's fine with whatever they decide for her as opposed to what she actually wants.

She should be used to it by now. That's basically her life. She thought over time it would get better but really, the pain never goes away.

Eve shakes her head of these thoughts, setting her cup back down on the wooden table. She had already closed the blinds to the window on the wall across from her bed. The blue curtains with orange and red detailing, same as her blankets, flutter gently.

She leans over to turn off the lamp, not sure she can stay awake for another minute. And she's right. As soon as the light is off, she's out.

Too bad her dreams aren't that simple to turn off.

_She sees cliffs…ragged, cracked, dark cliffs. Waves beat upon them relentlessly, wearing away at them, tearing them down._

_ Wind howls above her, around her, everywhere. The sound is loud, vibrating in the air._

_ The sky is dark. Too dark to see barely anything. Black and gray clouds tumble and collide in the sky, giving a new palette of colors. _

_ She sees something on the edge of the cliffs. It almost blends in with the landscape. It's a slick black, oily looking, adding a shine to the softer colors of dark. It has its back to her, staring out over the iron waves._

_ She takes a few steps forwards, some rocks dislodging and falling into the sea. But she doesn't notice. There's something about the figure that's pulling her to it. She's entranced, she's intrigued. She continues towards it, not able to think of anything else._

_ Finally, she's a foot away from it. The figure slowly starts to turn to her._

_ "Eve!"_

_ A flash of white. A gleam of red. _

_ Her heart's on fire. Sparks fly from it._

_ "Eve!"_

She shoots up in bed, chest heaving. Sweat coats her face. Her hair is tangled around her shoulders. She pries her eyes open to see the clock. It reads 3:45 AM.

She tries to slow her breathing, calm her ravaged lungs. _In, out. In, out._

She brushes some strands off her forehead, trying to pull herself together. Her shuddering breathes relax as she continues to take deep breathes.

"It's just a dream, just a dream," she whispers softly into the darkness. Shadows play on her walls, making her dream seem that much closer to reality.

It wasn't even that scary. Just a feeling of…the unknown. Like something was coming and she couldn't stop it. That it's out of her control.

_ Breathe in, breathe out. In, out._

But at the end…at the end there was something. What was that glance of red and white? What was it?

"You're fine, you're fine. It's just a dream." She sighs deeply, snuggling back under her blankets. Not bothering to wonder what it means. Not thinking about how the latch on her window is slightly open. Not knowing another troubled person is awake right then, having had the same dream and pondering why his crimson morpher won't work.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! So sorry it's been so long but I've had a ton going on! Anyway, not one of my best chapters but I hope you guys enjoy! **

"Morning!" Tori calls, leaning out of the window. Eve waves through the open door, taking a few extra seconds to slip into her shoes. Once that's done, she closes the door behind her, locks it and pockets the key. Her parents had already left an hour before and she had been in the big house by herself.

As usual.

"Are you okay?" Tori asks as Eve makes her way down the driveway. Eve nods, remembering her almost-drowning incident from yesterday.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little sore, I guess," she answers, reaching the van. Tori nods, leaning over to swing the door open for her.

"That's good. In that case, ready to meet Kelly?" Tori asks as Eve climbs in the van. Once settled, she looks to Tori with a confused expression.

"Kelly?" she repeats, wrinkling her nose. "Who's that?"

"Oh, Kelly owns Storm Chargers, that sports hop down by the beach," Tori explains, backing the van out of the driveway. "I have a part time job there, along with everyone you met yesterday."

"Oh, so the whole gang," Eve says, trying to smile. Inside though, she feels a little left out. True, it's not their fault that she moved away and they moved on with their lives but it still hurts just the same.

"Yup. You can see your savior there," Tori teases as Eve blushes and fiddles with a hair band on her wrist.

"Tori," she mumbles, heat rising in her cheeks. Unknown to Tori, that's exactly what she is thinking of. She wants to see him again.

She can't exactly think of a reason why, but she just has this feeling that she needs to see his blue eyes and sun kissed hair to make this anxious feeling go away.

And on top of that, the dream from last night is still running through her mind. She doesn't know why, but there's just something about it she can't let go of. It may be just a dream but it feels so much more real than that. A strange sense of apprehension had filled her that morning when she woke up, the dream still etched clearly in her mind.

"Welcome to Storm Chargers!" Tori announces, pulling up to the store. Eve gazes at, trying to see if she remembers. After a few moments, she shakes her head.

"I don't recall this being here," she comments as Tori stops the car. They get out, slamming the doors behind them.

"Well, it hasn't been here too long and besides, we didn't really come this way when we were younger," Tori says as they walk towards the tan building. In the glass window, there is a ling of surfboards, in all different colors. Bikes are parked right outside the entrance, giving it a feel of popularity. The wind blows the white cover, making it flap.

When they get inside, they find it's already crowded for being 11 o'clock in the morning. An auburn-haired woman, running the cashier, rings up a pair of motocross gloves to a blond, burly man. Two girls are over by the helmets, discussing the pros and cons of the different types. Three guys are fawning over the rack of bikes, examining the pieces of metal.

"Hey Tori," the auburn haired woman says as Tori pulls Eve up to the register. Tori gives the woman a smile as Eve awkwardly shifts from foot to foot. She's not good with meeting new people and it's even more awkward when her friend is already well-known to the stranger.

"Hey Kelly," Tori answers. "Wow, it seems busy."

"Oh you have no idea," Kelly says, wiping a few strands of hair off her forehead. "But this is only the beginning. It's not even noon yet!"

"I know," Tori nods. "Hey, have you seen the guys?"

"Dustin said he was going to be late. But the others are in the back room." Kelly inclines her head as she puts change into the register. Tori smiles at her.

"Thanks." Tori beams, then starts to walk away then remembers the girl in red standing next to her. "By the way, Kelly this is Eve. Eve, Kelly. Eve was my best friend before she moved away."

"It's nice to meet you Eve," Kelly says, putting her hand out for her to shake. Eve smiles shyly and shakes Kelly's hand.

"It's nice to meet you too," she says quietly, feeling a little slighted by the way Tori said 'was' instead of is. But it can't be helped.

She guesses she's just doomed to be people's second choice no matter what.

_ I just want to be someone's first choice. _

"Come on Eve, let's go see the others." Tori grabs Eve's arm and starts to pull her towards the back. Eve nods, knowing even if she refuses, it will go unheard anyway.

"What's up guys?" Tori asks as they open the door to the back room. The boys inside look up at the entrance of the two girls.

"Hey Tor," Shane says, setting down the box he was holding. Eve looks around the room. It's a pretty small room, with only two medium-sized windows on the far wall. There are wire racks on the two opposite walls, filled with merchandise. And the floor is scattered with articles and boxes overflowing with more stuff.

"Hey Eve," Blake says, coming to stand closer to the girls. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks," Eve answers, giving him a small smile. It's sweet of him to ask. She didn't think anyone would care. People usually don't.

"If you're looking for your hero, he'll be here in a minute," Dustin states, grinning at Eve. She feels herself start to blush hotly again. This is the second time today that someone inferred that Hunter is her 'hero'. It's a little embarrassing, actually. But not wanting to start any waves, especially with people she's just met, she shrugs it off.

"Great," she says instead as Shane picks up another box and seems to be struggling with it. "Do you want me to help you?"

"That'd be awesome." He looks at her with admiration. "Thank you." Together, they lift the heavy box back onto the fourth shelf of the rack.

"No problem," Eve responds, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Hey guys, Kelly said-Eve, it's nice to see you." They all turn around to see Hunter standing in the doorway of the back room, a clipboard in hand.

"Hey Hunter," Eve says quietly, nervousness charging through her bloodstream. He looks no different from yesterday but she feels there's a slight difference in the air. As soon as she sets her eyes on him, the anxious feeling from before vanishes, replaced instead with the adrenaline from the dream last night, along with something else she can't describe.

"Are you feeling better?" he inquires. Eve nods, swallowing back her strange feelings.

"Yes, I am, thanks. I really don't know how I can thank you again," she says earnestly, meeting his eyes with her own. Hunter shrugs.

"I already told you, it's fine," he insists. "Don't worry about it."

"Come on Hunter, isn't the 'hero' supposed to get some sort of reward?" Dustin teases, raising his eyebrows. Blake rolls his eyes at his older brother.

"Dude, you've been reading way too many comic books," he tells Dustin. The boy in yellow grins sheepishly.

"So?" he retorts. Eve smiles awkwardly, not sure what to do in this situation.

"Ugh, you guys are so immature," Tori sighs, putting her hands on her hips. She turns to Eve, a smile on her face. "Anyway, what-"

A _beep_ suddenly goes off, interrupting Tori's sentence. She looks down and Eve notices for the first time, a weird watch-type thing on her wrist.

"Oh sorry Eve, but I have to go," Tori apologizes. She starts out of the room with the guys following her.

"Yeah, it's our, er break time," Dustin says enthusiastically. Blake nods and waves at Eve as they start towards the entrance.

"Um, okay," Eve says, confused by their strange actions. She sighs quietly, tired of feeling everything or nothing. Hunter is the last one to leave and he gives her a small smile.

"Sorry Eve, but we'll be right back," he tells her as he joins his friends and heads out the door, leaving Eve standing in the empty back room, as empty as she feels.

_ Sad eyes, empty heart. _


End file.
